I
know I'm getting a little jaded with the release of
all these old-school compilations even if I happen
to like the game that's being exploited. These old
games had their day and they weren't originally designed
to be played on these powerful next-gen systems. These
next-gen systems should inspire newly developed games
that, in turn, shouldn't be expected to be played
on the next-next-gen of game systems. The trouble
is that they always sucker me in with offers that
I can't refute, (I meant to use that word) such as
including an entire series on one disk along with
some new content and unlockables such as interviews,
art and mini-games.

Such
is the case with Mega Man Anniversary Collection.
I can hardly blame the Blue Bomber for wanting to
show off his vast collection of work. The gameplay
still holds up. It can be a very difficult game but
there have been some changes made. Before you purists
start freaking let me explain that you can still play
these old games as they were originally released but
there are new modes that will give other players an
opportunity to experience Mega Man on their terms.
For the first time you can select the difficulty mode
in addition to the number of lives.

Mega
Man Anniversary Collection contains no less than eight
Mega Man titles from his freshman days on the NES
to the PSX. A couple of unreleased arcade fighting
games are also included: Power Battles and Power Fighters.
Other unlockables include artwork, interviews, a retrospective
look at the history of Mega Man as well as a full-length
animated episode. Package all of this with a price
tag under $30 and you've got a deal that you can't
refuse (I meant to use that word). Even if you've
heard horror stories about how difficult Mega Man
games can be you will find some assistance to make
things a little easier for you.

Some
of the new additions include the ability to cycle
through the weapon cache without having to access
a different interface. You can also release three,
rapid-fire shots by holding the fire button down.
Old-school gamers can still tap the button if they
prefer. The music has been remixed and some of the
graphics have been updated. Going into Navi Mode you
will be able to experience these upgrades. You will
also be able to receive hints from other characters
in this mode. The upgrades don't affect the gameplay
but make the older games look a little more modern.
Once again purists can enjoy things the way they were
by not selecting the Navi Mode.

There
was no way I could play through all of these games
before deadline. I took a sampling of each of them
including the new fighting game which I found to be
a little boring but it's an excuse to play with another
gamer. The control on all games are tight and I didn't
notice any slowdown. The graphics are primary colored
and are very bright and cheery. Regardless of whether
I was playing the first or eighth game of the series,
I found myself so engrossed by the gameplay that it
didn't matter if the graphics were eight or a million
bits. That's the main reason that Mega Man is still
popular after all these years.